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Robert K.
Haelig Jr. |
The Seven Rules Of Good Local Government, First Published Two Years
Ago, Are Now Eight Rules
Haelig
Adds First New Rule In Two Years: “It Is Generally Bad Public Policy
To Throw The Baby Out With The Bath Water” Becomes Rule Number Seven
Former
Assemblyman Robert K. Haelig Jr., author of the “Seven Rules Of Good
Local Government” has added an eighth rule.
“There Is No Such Thing As A Free Lunch” Is Still Rule #1
The
“Seven Rules”, which included “There is no such thing as a free lunch”
(#1); Don’t hire employees you don’t need even if they are related to
somebody “special” or are part of somebody’s “team” (#2); and “Give
the public bad news when it occurs, not five or ten years later” (#5),
have now been augmented with a new rule which is inserted as Rule #7.
The new
rule: “It is generally bad public policy to throw the baby out with
the bathwater” (#7).
Democrats Called For DMUA Dissolution
Following Bad GOP Policy Decisions
Haelig
offered no specific reason for adding another rule at this time, but
the change comes only a few days after Democrat township committee
candidates in Dover Township called for the dissolution of the Dover
Municipal Utilities Authority because of wasteful spending policies
initiated over the last two years by former Chairman Virginia Haines,
Posse Chief Carmine Inteso and Republican Boss Richard Clement.
The
Democrats, Thomas Rodgers and Richard Larsen, claimed the DMUA is
“obsolete”.
Bad
Policies Driven By Political Opportunists, Vehemently Objected To By
Haelig, Have Produced $6.4 Million DMUA Deficit
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Carmine
Inteso
Posse I |
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Boss
Richard
Clement |
The
Haines-Inteso policy blunders were vehemently and repeatedly objected
to by Haelig, who is credited with rescuing the DMUA from insolvency
twenty years ago, Haelig has been a DMUA commissioner for 23 years.
Despite
Haelig’s numerous warnings, Haines, Inteso and Clement saw to it that
DMUA reserves were used to try to buy votes for the last two election
campaigns, and the agency now has a current year operating deficit of
$6.4 million.
DMUA
Remains Strong Financially
Haelig
is known to believe that because the DMUA remains strong financially,
despite the short term damage done by Haines, Inteso, Clement and
current Chairman Leonard Hedinger, the most prudent course of action
would be to correct the bad policies enacted for political purposes,
and get back exclusively to serving the agency’s ratepayers.
$225
Rate Has Not Increased In 18 Years
While Township Taxes Have More Than Doubled
Haelig
and other former DMUA commissioners achieved a basic rate of $225 in
1984, a rate which is among the lowest in New Jersey, and one which
has not been increased in 18 years.
Hence
the suspicion that the new rule: “It is generally bad public policy to
throw the baby out with the bath water” is at least peripherally
connected with recent occurrences at the DMUA.
The
Township Committee has more than doubled local taxes in the same 18
year period.
10,000 Petitioners Said It’s The
Township Committee That’s “Obsolete”, Not The DMUA
If any
local agency is “obsolete”, Haelig said recently, “it’s the Dover
Township Committee”.
“That’s
why 10,000 township residents signed petitions to get rid of it”, he
said, referring to the change of government referendum question to
appear on the November ballot.
Click here to access the “Eight Rules Of Good Local Government”, as
amended.
More
soon on OCPolitics•Com on the Eight Rules and the five Dover Township
financial crises |
